Adjusting device



Dec. 4, 1951 C. DEM UTH ADJUSTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 14, 1948 IN VENTOR.

Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTING DEVICECharles Demuth, Mineola, 'N. Y.

Application September 14,1948, Serial No. 49,158

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to adjusting devices wherein a movable part ismovable with respect to a relatively fixed part to the desired degreeofadjustment and then secured in adjusted position. The invention thoughuseful in many environments furnishes a simple means ideally adapted foruse in connection with a variable outlet air distributor, and hence anembodiment showing the invention adapted for this particular use will bedescribed herein as illustrative of my invention.

In my Patent No. 2,367,104, issued January '9, 1945, there is discloseda variable outlet air distributor comprising an adjusting device, andthe present invention is in the nature of an improvement thereover.

An object of the present invention is to provide a greatly simplifiedadjusting device which may be economically manufactured and is capableof infinite increments of adjustment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjusting device whichpresents an improved mode of manipulation and durable inservice.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the following. description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which show, by Way of example, the presentpreferred embodiment of the invention.

The invention consists of the novel feature, arrangement and combinationof parts embodied by way of example in the structure hereinafterdescribed as illustrating a present preferred form of the invention, andthe invention will be more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of my invention showing itsadaptation for use in a variable volume air distributor;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the adjusting elements per se on asomewhat enlarged scale, being approximately full size, with certainportions broken away;

Fig. 3A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relative angularrelationship of the parts shown in Fig. 2 in locked adjusted position;and

Fig. 3B is a similar view showing the parts in the position when freefor relative adjusting operation.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1, I in generaldesignates a relatively fixed part of the adjusting device and H ingeneral designates a part which it is desired to move to adjustedposition with respect to the part II). In the present embodiment thefixed part ['0 is rigidly secured to an air duct outlet I 2 rigidlyfixed in position, as on a ceiling (not shown; and the part ll carriesrigidly secured thereto a cone-shaped diffuser designated in general as13 which it is desired to move upwardly and downwardly toward and awayfrom the outlet l-2 to desired adjusted position.

In the features essential to the present invention the member Hcomprises a shaft M which is of general oval cross-section (Fig. 3A) foran axial extent of its operable length, which in the present embodimentis determined by the cotter pin l5 and the flange [B which serve aslimit stops to engage the upper and lower surfaces of the adjacentportion of the member ID. The crosssection -of the shaft 14 thusprovides a major diameter (Fig. 3A) designated AB and a minor diameterdesignated C--D, for the purposes to be .more fully pointed outhereinafter. Likewise, the essential feature of the member Iii is thesleeve portion designated 1''! through which the shaft [4 extends andwith respect to which relative movement in an axial direction is desiredfor adjusting the parts to the desired position. In order to effect thedesired locking of the parts in adjusted position the bore of the sleeveI! is likewise provided with a major diameter (E-F) and a minor diameter(G-H). In the present embodiment the bore in general is defined by acylinder whose diameter represents the maximum diameter of the bore andthe minor diameter of the bore is provided by a protuberance l8extending inwardly of the :bore and between the inner surface of whichand the diametrically opposite surface of the bore the minor axis isdefined. This protuberance is preferably provided byinwardly deformingthe sleeve ll along the vertically extending narrow zone designated l9(Fig. 2). In the preferred form the member I0 is shown as made of twometal strips 20 and 2|, the outer ends of which are rigidly secured, asat 22, to the fixed duct outlet I 2 (Fig. 1); each of the metal stripsproviding substantially rigidly extending oppositely disposed arms sothat in all four arms are provided. Intermediate their ends the stripsare bent and are permanently secured together by welding, as at 23--24(Fig. 2). In the preferred form the strips are so bent and welded thatthe circular arcs of the strips, which together define the major bore ofthe sleeves [1, are bent to their respective arms by parallel portions,such as 25-26, which are spaced slightly apart so as to provideresiliency between the portions of the strips which define the sleeve.In order to augment this resiliency to the degree preferred for the bestresults the strips 20-2I are made of spring steel or the like resilientmaterial. The lower end of the member I I is provided with a ring 21which serves as a convenient means for engaging this member for thepurpose of adjustment.

Operation When it is desired to adjust the vertical position of themember I I with respect to the member In the member II is engaged as byinserting the hook end of a pole to the ring 21 and angularly moving themember II so as to bring the oval shaft I4 in the angular relationshipshown in Fig. 3B, at which time the member I4 is freely slidable axiallyin the bore of the sleeve I1, and then adjusting the member I I to thedesired position. When the desired position of adjustment is reachedangular movement of the member II disposes the oval shaft I4 in theposition indicated in Fig. 3A, in which position the member I I islocked by the frictional engagement of the oval shaft I4 between theprotuberance I8 and the opposite side of the bore of sleeve H. In otherwords, with the major diameters of the shaft and sleeve in approximatealignment the members are free for relative movement one with respect tothe other and when the major diameters of the shaft approachesa positionof alignment with the minor diameters of the sleeve the parts are firmlysecured together. It will be noted that in the preferred form a partialrotation of the shaft I4 in either direction causes this locking actionto take place. Preferably, with the sleeve made of steel I have found ithighly advantageous to make the shaft of a medium hard bronze to preventundue wear of the parts and to provide improved gripping action betweenthe members. It will be understood that conversely the strap members 20and 2I may be made of bronze, preferably spring bronze and the shaft maybe made of steel; in which event the bronze straps may be convenientlysecured together by rivets or other means well known to those skilled inthe art.

Having thus described my invention with particularity with reference toa presently preferred form of the same, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art after understanding the invention, that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from thescope of the invention, and it is my intention to cover in the appendedclaims such changes as come within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an adjusting device the combination of i a shaft member and asleeve member providing a bore through which said shaft extends, saidshaft being of generally oval cross-section throughout its operablelength, said bore having major and minor diameters greater than therespective major and minor diameters of said shaft, said sleevecomprising two sections each having a substantially semi-cylindricalportion with aligned diametrically opposed portions disposed asoutwardly extending continuations thereof, the aligned portions of onesection being spaced apart in a direction normal to the correspondingportions of the other section and being secured thereto at zones spacedoutwardly from said semi-circular portions in the direction of saidalignment, whereby said sleeve sections are resiliently yieldable forfrictional engagement with said shaft when the latter is rotated to aposition where its major diameter approaches alignment with the minordiameter of said sleeve, and said shaft is freely slidable through saidsleeve bore in one angular position to provide for axial adjustment andis frictionally locked to said sleeve member in another angularposition.

2. In an adjusting device the combination of a shaft member and a sleevemember providing a bore through which said shaft extends, one of saidmembers being made of bronze and the other of steel, said shaft being ofgenerally oval crosssection throughout its operable length, said borehaving major and minor diameters greater than the respective major andminor diameters of said shaft, said sleeve comprising two spring stripsections each having a substantially semi-cylindrical portion withaligned diametrically opposed portions disposed as outwardly extendingcontinuations thereof, said strip sections extending outwardly beyondsaid diametrically opposed aligned portions in generally radialdivergent directions to provide four supporting arms, the

aligned diametrically opposed portions of one section being spaced apartin a direction normal to the corresponding portions of the other sectionandbeing secured thereto at zones spaced outwardly from saidsemi-circular portions in the direction of said alignment, whereby saidsleeve REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thefile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,125,454 Marshall Aug. 2, 19382,367,104 Demuth Jan. 9, 1945 2,502,780 Dreffein Apr. 4, 1950

